1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an engine control apparatus for a manual transmission vehicle having a manual transmission that connects to an output side of an engine through a clutch.
2. Background Information
There is conventional technology that exists for suppressing a physical shock (shift shock) that can occur when a transmission of a vehicle shifts to a different gear. The technology suppresses the shift shock by executing a rotational speed synchronization control that controls the rotational speed of the engine to a target rotational speed using feedback control. The target engine rotational speed is set to a rotational speed value required for the vehicle to travel in the target gear position that will be in effect after the shift operation is completed.
One example of conventional technology for an automatic transmission vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission having a manual mode in which a driver can shift gears is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-42872 discloses. In this conventional technology when a driver downshifts with the intention of decelerating, the rotational speed synchronization control described above is stopped in order to ensure that the driver experiences a feeling of deceleration.